Tropenbos Vietnam connects sustainable livelihoods from Dak Lak to urban areas

VTV.vn - Products of ethnic minorities at the Green Kindness Market in Ho Chi Minh City aim to improve people's livelihoods, as well as protect and develop natural forests.

Dak Lak people bring "the breath of the great forest" to the city through each product.

The breath of the wild in the heart of the city

On September 27-28, 2025, at 135A Pasteur (formerly District 3), Ho Chi Minh City, the Kind Green Market became a gathering space for community products from Dak Lieng commune and Yang Mao commune (formerly Krong Bong district), Dak Lak province. This is an activity jointly organized by Tropenbos Vietnam and NTFP-EP Vietnam, with the goal of connecting community businesses, promoting local products and spreading the message of sustainable livelihood development associated with forest protection.

In this event, artisans, producers and ethnic minorities from Dak Lieng and Yang Mao communes had the opportunity to directly introduce their products to urban customers. From woven bamboo and rattan products, products from kônia seeds, pottery, natural bamboo shoots, choi sarsaparilla, wild vegetables, wild banana seeds, wild honey to handicraft products associated with indigenous culture... - all carry the story of a green livelihood.

Green space of the Kind Green Market in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City

The highlight of the event lies in the connection value that the market brings. Instead of simply being a place to sell forestry or agricultural products, the market opens up opportunities for artisans and ethnic minority households to directly access the urban market. This is an important step to help the community introduce handicrafts, agricultural products and indigenous cultural values ​​to more customer groups, thereby expanding output and increasing stable income sources.

When local products are consumed, people have more motivation to maintain a production model based on sustainable raw materials instead of exploiting forest resources in an exhaustive manner. This change creates a positive circle: improved income makes livelihoods associated with forests become sustainable. By exploiting, protecting and developing forest resources in a reasonable manner, people not only have more conditions for stable economic development but also become a direct force to protect the forest. The forest is preserved by the hands of the local community, thereby ensuring the stability and long-term development of the natural forest ecosystem as well as the richness of biodiversity. This is also the long-term goal that Tropenbos Vietnam pursues when accompanying community enterprises in Dak Lak.

Traditional handicraft product booth made a strong impression

Increase income, link economy with forest protection

According to Tropenbos Vietnam, the most important goal of this activity is to increase income and develop livelihoods for ethnic minorities (M'nong, Ede) through non-timber forest products (NTFP).

A notable point in the fair was the active participation of women and young people from Dak Lieng and Yang Mao communes. The women directly brought brocade, clean agricultural products and traditional handicrafts to Ho Chi Minh City, confidently introducing the production process and the story behind each product. Their presence affirmed the growing role of women in community economic development. In addition, young people also accompanied in promoting, learning business skills and preserving the traditional crafts of their ancestors. This is the foundation for economic empowerment, promoting gender equality and preserving indigenous cultural values ​​in the context of integration.

Sharing about the significance of the activity, the representative of Tropenbos Vietnam emphasized: " Although the scale of the project is small with seemingly simple models, such as a few stalls selling brocade, agricultural products or bunches of wild vegetables of the local people, the significance is very great. Those products are the livelihood of the people. From selling the products, they have more income to reinvest in their lives and in forest protection activities.

We all see that if forests are well managed and preserved, they will provide the community with a variety of non-timber products such as bamboo shoots, wild vegetables and many other forest products. People can sell their products, have more resources and return to protect the forests so that the forests continue to generate new values. Our ultimate goal is to exploit forest resources reasonably to create products, thereby providing livelihoods for our people and fostering the motivation to preserve forests sustainably."

Ethnic minority women and youth directly participate in selling and promoting products.

In addition to enhancing economic empowerment and creating opportunities for women and youth, the program also aims at the long-term goal of expanding markets, increasing revenue for community products, and building a network of connections between local businesses and domestic and foreign partners.

The message that is spread throughout the market is: from the forest to the city, each community product carries within it the story of forest preservation, nature conservation and livelihood empowerment for ethnic minorities. The Kind Green Market is therefore not only a shopping destination, but also a cultural, economic and environmental bridge between the Dak Lak plateau and the big city.

When livelihoods are improved, women and youth rights are affirmed, the primeval forest will also be more firmly protected. This is the path that Tropenbos Vietnam is striving to accompany the people: economic development, cultural preservation and nature conservation, three parallel values ​​towards a sustainable future. The fair ended but the echoes from the brocade stalls, clean agricultural products and handicrafts of the Dak Lak people still lingered in the hearts of the city's people.

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Event information 'Green - Kind Market: Agricultural products - Regional specialties'

- Location: 135A Pasteur, Xuan Hoa Ward (old District 3), Ho Chi Minh City

- Time: Saturday, September 27, 2025 (7:00 am - 3:00 pm)

Sunday, September 28, 2025 (7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)

Source: https://vtv.vn/tropenbos-viet-nam-ket-noi-sinh-ke-ben-vung-tu-dak-lak-den-do-thi-100251002150949909.htm